Anupam Kher had a proud moment internationally recently as he won the Best Supporting Actor award at the UK Asian Film Festival Flame Awards for his Indo-Canadian film Calorie. Having been part of the industry for over four decades, Anupam Kher has not only been a part of Indian films, but also represented Indian talent globally in projects like Silver Linings Playbook, Bed It Like Beckham and New Amsterdam.
Kher loves the responsibility of representing Indian talent across the globe, but he admits it has become a risky business in today’s time due to the troll culture. Taking the recent example of the scrutiny actor Alia Bhatt faced for her Cannes Film Festival appearance, the actor says, “Losers who have nothing to do in life, they just want to get noticed by criticising something iconic. Criticism has become the favourite national pastime of certain people or maybe a full time job. I don’t get angry with them anymore, rather I feel pity.”
The actor adds, “I am proud of the way Alia Bhatt represented India at Cannes. There are people whose lives are running on views, maybe they are getting paid for it. I loved how Alia responded to them. These trolls are such becharas that their mere existence is due to celebrities. Alia is a rockstar and she knows how to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Kher has currently been busy with his theatre play Jaane Pehchaane Anjane. Last weekend, he performed in Mumbai and he takes the play to Delhi this coming weekend. “I have been performing my one-man show Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai for the last 21 years. But this is a new play and this is the first time we have so many actors in one play. It is based on a Marathi play, but I added a level of difficulty in it by turning it into a musical with Anu Malik, and sung the title track myself. I was a nervous wreck before the show. I had jitters and I have this ritual that I don’t eat a day before my performance as I feel petrified. I go into a shell. To take the play to the next level makes me nervous, and I do my best when I feel such way,” he shares, adding that performing live in front of an audience still gives him the biggest high. “It’s a great joy when the audience claps for you and there is no retake, so you always have to be on your toes. Theatre shows me that I can still push my boundaries and it keeps me alive as a person, not only as an actor.”